Set Your Mind for Happiness

Goldendale Library Events

Links: Things to Think About & Things to Do

1. Sherman County Court to Meet in Circuit Courtroom, Dec. 7

The Circuit Courtroom is now available, so County Court this Wednesday, December 7, will be held in its usual location in the courthouse. Please call 541-565-3416 if you have any questions.

2. Sherman High School Alumni Proud New Owners of Bulldog Diner

Three Sherman High School alumni are the proud new owners of the Bulldog Diner in Rufus. Austin Evans, Nick Coleman, and Sylvia Dao took over operations on December 4th. This diner serves breakfast and lunch and is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

3. Wasco City/Community Library Holiday Happenings

Santa will be stopping by for a holiday visit in the Wasco School on Saturday, December 10th — arriving at 11:00 a.m. and staying until 2:00 p.m. Santa will be handing out goodies to the kiddies, and while the little ones are occupied, parents and grandparents can browse for soaps, jewelry, crafts and much more. Vendors will be displaying their wares up and down the hallways.

Stop by the Wasco City/Community Library to check out the wide assortment of new and used books in the annual Holiday Book Sale which is a fundraiser for the Library.

In the cafeteria you’ll be able to enjoy the annual Christmas Party hosed by the Wasco City/Community Library, with refreshments for everyone, games w/prizes for the kids, and door prizes for adults and children. Drawings for door prizes will be held every hour — noon, 1:00, and 2:00. Tickets for the door prizes are free and available at the vendors’ tables. To help cover the costs of the Christmas Party, donations are asked for — and greatly appreciated.

Please join us for this annual community event in the Wasco School on Saturday, December 10, 2016 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Vendors are welcome….there is no charge to set up a table. For more information, contact Danee at 541-442-5834 or Cassie at 541-442-5515.

4. Set Your Mind for Happiness

Ever a figure of interest and respect in the history of U.S. presidents, Abraham Lincoln seems to have been a keen observer of human behavior and a pragmatic viewer of the skills of others as he went about the business of keeping a nation together, before, during and after – however briefly – a wrenching civil war.

Lincoln also had a fine grasp of that most uncommon of senses – common sense. He once said, “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” One hundred and fifty years later, cognitive researchers have scientifically proven that Lincoln was correct.

Now the word “cognitive” simply means having to do with thought or perception, and cognitive psychologists operate on the principle that it is your thoughts, not external events, that create your moods and the way you view your days, your work, your relationships – your life.

In other words, it’s not so much what happens to you, but rather how you respond to what happens to you that determines how you feel.

The good news is that you can learn to respond in ways that create success and happiness instead of failure and depression. You can learn to spot your negative thoughts and stop them in their tracks, and you can learn to substitute more useful thoughts in their place.

You see, you have already learned how to create your current moods and attitudes, so you can unlearn them as well. Millions of people around the world have done the same, and there is no special college degree required. The information is out there, but you must take accountability for seeking it out and using it – and for making the changes you need to make in order to grow.

There is no better time to start than right now. ~ The Pacific Institute

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) announced today that Ray Baum will bring his decades-long experience in policy making back to Capitol Hill as Staff Director of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Last week, Walden was elected by his colleagues as Chairman of that Committee, which has broad jurisdiction over health care, energy, and telecommunications policy. Baum will replace Gary Andres.

“Ray Baum is a gifted policy leader and a true pro who will bring nearly three decades of policy experience to the Committee’s top staff role. As a long-time Energy and Commerce staffer, state regulatory board chairman, and Oregon House Majority Leader, Ray has put into place common-sense policies to help consumers and grow jobs in America. We’re fortunate to have him on our team.

“I’d like to thank outgoing Staff Director Gary Andres for his long record of dedicated service to the Committee. Gary is a remarkable leader who has done great work for the American people. I will continue to turn to him for advice, counsel, and friendship,” Walden said.

Baum, a native of La Grande, Oregon, joined the staff of the Energy and Commerce Committee in 2011, serving as senior policy advisor and chief strategist on state initiatives, cybersecurity, telecommunications, and technology. Prior to that, he served as the Chairman of the Oregon Public Utility Commission, as well as the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners Telecommunications Committee. He has chaired the Oregon Broadband Advisory Council, served as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), and was state chair of the Federal–State Joint Board on Universal Service.

Walden and Baum were both elected to the Oregon state House of Representatives in 1988. Baum served in the legislature for eight years, the last two as House Majority Leader. He holds a B.A. from Brigham Young University and a J.D. from Willamette University.

6. Goldendale Library Events

Wednesday, December 7th, 2:30pm

Movie Time! Movies for the whole family at the library. Call the library for titles and show dates. (for emails only: “This month featuring Polar Express.”)

Second Thursdays, Dec 8th, 1:30 to 3:30pm

Song Circle at the Goldendale Library. Enjoy folk music in a relaxed atmosphere with friends. Call the library for more information at 773-4487.

Second Mondays, Dec 12th and Jan 9th, 11am and 6:30pm

Book Talk! Book discussion groups for adults. For titles and information, call the library at 773-4487.